Newark Archdiocese donates church supplies to parishes in Haiti after devastating earthquake

Jennifer Brown/The Star-LedgerMsgr. Beaubrun Ardouin, of Irvington, looks over all of the donated chalices at St. Elizabeth's Roman Catholic Church in Linden. Parishes all over the Newark Archdiocese are sending vestments , chalices and other religious necessities to Haiti to replace the sacred items destroyed in the earthquake.
LINDEN — Most of the aid sent to Haiti since the January earthquake is meant to nourish the bodies of survivors. An unusual donation from the Newark Archdiocese is meant to nourish their spirits.

A Linden priest is spearheading the donation of church supplies — chalices, candlesticks, crucifixes, vestments — to the shattered Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince. The earthquake, which killed the archbishop there, completely destroyed 15 parishes in the archdiocese and seriously damaged another 27.

The donation, apparently the first of its kind since the quake, is meant to help the nation’s priests celebrate Mass after many lost all their liturgical supplies in the large-scale destruction.

The idea came from the Rev. Benedict Worry of St. Elizabeth Church in Linden. Shortly after the quake, he said, he was watching the news in his rectory when he saw a Haitian priest being interviewed in a T-shirt, baseball cap and khakis. The priest told the interviewer his church had been destroyed, along with his priestly garb and supplies, and he had no idea where he would celebrate Mass.

"I thought, what would I do in that case, if I had to say Mass that Sunday in Port au Prince," the Rev. Worry recalled. "I knew that in my church alone, I’m sitting on at least six chalices I can get rid of."

Worry contacted officials at the Newark chancery with the idea. Shortly afterward, Newark Archbishop John J. Myers sent a letter to all priests in the archdiocese requesting donations of unused church supplies. Parishes from neighboring dioceses also were invited.

AMANDA BROWN/The Star-LedgerRev. Benedict Worry looks over religious stoles donated at St. Elizabeth's RC Church in Linden. Parishes all over the Newark Archdiocese are sending vestments, chalices and other religious necessities to Haiti to replace the sacred items destroyed in the earthquake. Most of the donations were themselves donated to parishes years ago by families commemorating special occasions.

"I am sure that those who have donated these vessels will be pleased," Myers wrote in his letter, "that they are being used to provide a dignified celebration of the Eucharist by those who literally have nothing."

So far, 12 parishes have donated supplies worth more than $200,000, and another 10 also are expected to contribute, Worry said. In addition, a large quantity of food collected by Haitian Protestant ministers in the area will be shipped down with the church supplies.

A friend of of Worry’s is donating more than $5,000 in shipping costs.

Worry said he hopes the donations will arrive in time for Easter.

Today, in the parish basement, approximately three dozen gleaming chalices, five sets of candlesticks and four crucifies were laid out on the table. Nearly 200 sets of vestments sat in boxes.

In a brief e-mail interview, the papal nuncio to Haiti, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, told The Star-Ledger that the Newark Archdiocese was the first to offer this kind of donation. The Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y., made a similar offer two weeks ago, he said.

"The initiative of Fr. Benedict is certainly laudable," Auza wrote. "We hope that the priests of the damaged parish churches in Port-au-Prince could have them as soon as possible."

New Jersey does its part to bring medical supplies to HaitiIt started with just a few e-mails, but in a week New Jersey has raised over $100,000 worth of medical supplies to be sent to Haiti. The Ambulatory Surgical Center of Union County is the state’s main drop-off point, but donations are being accepted all over New Jersey, at places like Kingley Health in Piscataway. A large portion of supplies will be sent to Inspire Haiti in Brooklyn, before being shipped out as soon as tomorrow. (Video by Michael Monday/The Star-Ledger)